A strange feeling stirred deep inside me.
An hour ago, he'd received a call. The deal had been moved up. It was happening today.
Today was Emma's wedding day.
The woman he cared about was getting married, and he couldn't be there. He couldn't even watch her in her wedding dress from a distance.
Something so simple had become the most impossible luxury for Elijah Clark.
This was the first lie Elijah had told since seeing Emma again.
His identity as a doctor was real. But today... there was no surgery.
The urgent matter Elijah had mentioned was closing an important deal. Signing a contract.
In all these years, he'd never been late. But this time... he was half an hour late.
By the rules of this trade, his behavior was forbidden.
Elijah knew the risks. He'd done it anyway, willing to pay any price, just to hear Emma's answer.
Elijah took the documents and walked slowly into the abandoned underground warehouse.
The light inside was dim. The air smelled of dust and decay. The first warehouse on the right was where they'd meet.
He pushed open the door and saw five muscular men in black suits and sunglasses.
Then he lifted his eyes and saw the man sitting on a chair, legs crossed on the table.
The man raised his hand, glancing at his watch. A shrewd glint flashed in his eyes. "Mr. Clark, right? I didn't expect our first deal, and you keep me waiting forty minutes. What, a funeral at home? If you couldn't make it, you should've called. I hate waiting for people."
The man must have seen Elijah come alone. He was testing him, trying to assert dominance.
But Elijah didn't care at all. His handsome face remained dark and unreadable. Without fear, he lifted his gaze and stared back. "If that's the case, you didn't have to wait. I came late on purpose. I wanted to see if you were worth working with."
"Pa... pa... pa..." Loud clapping echoed through the room. The man stood up, walked two steps toward Elijah, hands in his pockets, a curious smile on his lips. "Mr. Clark is truly a young man. Fearless in the face of danger. It seems the wait was worth it."
So this man's surname was Thompson?
Elijah was meeting him for the first time, but he could clearly feel the dangerous aura radiating from him.
"I hope we can cooperate happily." Elijah's tone remained cold. His deep eyes revealed nothing.
He handed the documents to the man. "Mr. Thompson... here's the contract. You can look it over first, then decide if you want to sign."
"You're too polite, Mr. Clark..." The man took the documents, and his assistant handed him a black pen.
Without even glancing at the contents, he flipped to the last page and signed his name.
Elijah's brow furrowed slightly. "Don't you want to see what's inside, Mr. Thompson?"
"It's called trust. Where are the goods?" William Thompson signed both copies, handed them back to Elijah, and asked casually.
"In my car. Have your people inspect the goods."
Elijah opened the contract and quickly wrote his name beneath William's.
William Thompson?
Though Elijah hadn't been back long, he'd heard of this man through Liam Williams' connections.
He just hadn't expected to become his partner.
"You're cool enough. I like your straightforwardness, brother. Want to grab a drink tonight?" William Thompson turned and gestured for his men to inspect the goods. A meaningful look crossed his face.
Young, but skilled.
"Another day. Since you treat me like a brother, I'll take the liberty of asking... why are you buying so many guns?" Elijah frowned, asking casually.
He'd been in this business long enough. Rules were just clouds in the sky. Sooner or later, partners became familiar. So Elijah asked directly.
William's lips curled into a smile. His tone was light and frivolous. "If I said self-defense, would you believe me, Mr. Clark?"
Clearly, he didn't want to tell the truth. He'd found a flimsy excuse.
Elijah understood. He didn't press further. "Of course. If Mr. Thompson says so, who am I to doubt?"
Just then, one of William's men entered, leaned close to his ear, and whispered a few words.
William nodded. A satisfied smile finally appeared on his face. "Mr. Clark, my man just told me the goods are fine. The money has been transferred to your account. I didn't expect our first cooperation to go so smoothly." William laughed, revealing yellowed teeth.
"Good. Mr. Thompson, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Elijah left one copy of the contract with William, nodded slightly, and turned away indifferently.
William watched his retreating figure thoughtfully. He took out a cigar from his pocket and lit it.
The man who had just entered saw William's burning gaze. A trace of disdain flashed across his face. "Boss, why are we being so polite to him? This guy has no background, and he kept you waiting so long?"
"Tsk. What do you know?" William exhaled a puff of smoke. "Before I met you, I thought the same. But now... I can't treat him like an ordinary partner. Go back and check his information. This guy named Clark... I bet his backing is solid."
"Alright, boss."
William threw his cigar on the ground, wiped his fingers with a handkerchief, and said coldly, "Today seems to be a happy day for Liam Williams. Let's go... I want to share in the joy."
At the entrance of the Mona Lisa Bridal Shop.
Ethan Davis drove the white Maybach, while Liam Williams sat in the passenger seat.
Strange. They hadn't hit traffic the whole way. Why wasn't the traffic ahead moving?
Ethan grew a little worried. He looked outside and said, "There shouldn't be a traffic jam at this hour... What should we do, Liam? Your bride can't wait much longer."
Ethan said it jokingly.
"Ethan, turn around and wait for me here. I'll go pick them up." Liam was helpless, but luckily the bridal shop was less than a hundred meters away.
"Alright. Hurry up."
Liam got out of the car and walked straight toward the bridal shop. As he passed the intersection, he glanced casually. Something was strange. This road usually never got blocked.
But thinking of Emma, who was still waiting for him upstairs, he turned and walked toward the store without another look.
When Liam reached the top floor, he saw Olivia Davis and Mia Lewis already in their makeup and bridesmaid dresses, sitting on the sofa with slightly furrowed brows. "Are you all ready? Let's go... Where's Emma?"